Sandwich spreader



Jan. 1951 A. s. BETTENCOURT 2,539,225

SANDWICH SPREADER Filed Sept. 17, 1949 I N VEN TOR. A 'fed SBe/ncaarl ATTORNEY the Width of blade I.

Patented Jan. 23; 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to devices used for spreading butter, cheese, andother pasty materials onto slices of bread and similar food products.

The invention may be more readily understood from the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure 1 depicts a top or plan view of a preferred formof device, while a side view of the same device is illustrated in Figure2 and a front end. view in Figure 3. Figures 4 and 6 show front endviews of various modifications of the device of the present invention,while Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of the device shown in Figure4. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral I represents the spreadingportion of the device while numeral 8 represents the handle portion. Thespreading portion comprises fiat walls I and 2, forming an obtuse angleof about 130 with each other, and connected together by rounded anglesection 4 which may be circular, as in Fig. 3, or of other arcuate form,such as elliptical, or angular, such as 4 in Fig. 4, or, sides I and 2may be joined bya narrow fiat piece M which forms a channel having wideangularly disposed walls I" and 2". The front portions 3 of plates I and2 may be tapered in rounded fashion, as in Fig. 1, or may be providedwith rounded square corners I3, as in Fig. 5. The tapered form ispreferred.

Handle portion 8 is made of the same strip as the forward or plateportion, and the whole unit may be made in a simple stamping operation.This handle portion comprises fiat plate I'I, about Protruding from thesides II and I2 of plate I"! are lips 9 and It which are preferably alittle less than /2 the width of plate I1. I

The portion between handle 8 and blades I and 2 is preferably narrowedby arcuate or circular cut out sections 5 and 6. Also, the indentation 4between blades I and 2 is continued as indentation I through thenarrowed portion and past the ends of bends I2 and I3 which terminate attapered ends I6 of lips 9 and I0 of the handle. Such a structureprovides considerable strength to the narrowed portion between thehandle and the blades. Although lips 9 and I0 may protrude at rightangles to plate IT, as in Fig. 4, it is preferable that they be at anoblique angl thereto, say at an angle of about 110 with respect to plateIT, as in Figs. 3 and 6.

In operation, the handle portion 8 is taken in the hand so that angle 4of blades I and 2 points downwardly. Then the bottom surfaces of bladesI and 2 are dipped in scoop fashion into the container of soft butter,cheese, or the like, and the scooped-up mass is applied to the breadslice by first tilting blade 2 upwardly and running the rear portion ofblade I forward (1. e. toward the operator), over the bread, andgradually lowering the forward portion of blade I as the butter 'is usedup in the smearing or spreading operation. Excess of butter pushed outby blade I will accumulate on the under side of blade 2, since theoutermost edge of blade I is kept in contact with the surface of thebread.

When all of the butter is consumed from the underside of blade I, thedevice is tilted downwardly in the direction of the operator until angleor joint portion i touches the bread during the spreading operation.Then the butter is gradually rubbed off the underside of blade 2 untilit is completely consumed.

It will be observed that the present device is much more efficient thana knife or single flat blade both as to capacity and elimination of losttime, since a knife has only about half the capacity and it must bereversed a number of times due to piling up of the spreading material onthe upper surface of the knife.

An important feature of the present invention is the unitaryconstruction of the blade and handle portions which provides a strongspreader which is easily cleaned and which has no crevices or concealedcracks to encourage germ growth. Furthermore, the entire unit is simpleto stamp out and to stack. It is preferably made of stainless steel orsilver plated steel, although aluminum, plastics, and other materialsmay be used.

When a circular or arcuate blade junction 4 is employed, as in Fig. l,the spreading action is of the self-feeding type during the transitionfrom blade I to blade 2. Such a spreader, as the one which is thesubject of this invention, about 4" long, possesses a high capacity sothat one scoop of butter, for example, will be sufficient for spreadingat least 3 or 4 pieces of bread. Also, the device of the presentinvention is particularly effective in spreading icing on cakes orpastry.

It is possible to extend ridge 4 far into the handle portion, even tothe outer edge 8.

I claim:

1. In a sandwich spreader having a blade portion and a handle portion,the improvement comprising two flat blades having a side edge of eachdisposed at an oblique angle to one another and joined together at theangle, thereby forming the blade portion, and a centrally disposed fiatplate 3 4 t r of width less than that of one of said blades and in whichthe lips form an oblique angle with the serving as an extension of saidblades, narrow lips plate. projecting from the side edges of said plateat ALFRED S. BETTENCOURT. an angle of at least 90 from said plate, saidplate and lips forming the handle portion, and an in- REFERENCES ITEDtermediate portion having a Width at E that The following references areof record in the of the plate and disposed between said blades me ofthis patent: and said handle, comprising a continuation of and joiningtogether of said blades and plate. UNITED STATES PATENTS 2. A sandwichspreader according to claim 1 19 Number Name Date in which the anglemade by said blades con- 150,093 Smith Apr. 21, 1874 tinues through saidintermediate portion and en! 368,344 Layer Aug. 16, 1887 ters the handleportion. 400,537 Barry Apr, 2, 1889 3. A sandwich spreader according toclaim 1 in 461,623 Schoch Oct. 20, 1891 which the front ends of theblades are tapered in 15 660,592 lVIoses Mar. 15, 1898 the form of anarcuate edge. 1,432,412 Rietveld Oct. 1'7, 1922 4. A sandwich spreaderaccording to claim 1 2,011,910 Robbins Aug. 20, 1935 in which the anglebetween the blades comprises 2,141,367 Yannuzzi Dec. 27, 1938 an arcuatesection. 2,322,046 Miller June 15, 1943 5. A sandwich spreader accordingto claim 4 20

